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Job Hoppers: Everything You Need to Know to Avoid a Bad Hire

Job hoppers can be bad for business. However, not every job hopper you come across will be a bad hire. Sometimes, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for their job history. Thankfully, there are plenty of things to look out for during the interview process that can signal a red flag. Here’s everything you need to know about job hoppers to avoid a bad hire.

What is a Job Hopper?

Being a job hopper is exactly what it sounds like. It is a candidate who has hopped from job to job in a very short period of time. People will move jobs throughout the course of their career, but a job hopper will move jobs more frequently between companies, taking new positions.

Identifying a Job Hopper

Most hiring managers take a look at a candidate’s job history before moving forward with an interview. Some red flags in a resume that you can look out for include:

  • They haven’t stayed anywhere for more than a year. This usually means that they don’t want to commit to a single employer or can’t make their minds up about their careers.
  • Most of their experience is internships. Typically, internships are taken at the beginning of someone’s career. If someone has a lot of short-term internships in their job history, chances are they are fresh out of college and need more experience, or they aren’t serious about their career yet.
  • Less than two years at each company can be a red flag too. Of course, an occasional short tenure isn’t bad. If they are averaging less than two years in a position, they are likely a job hopper.

That being said, you should thoroughly vet any candidate with the necessary skills and experience that you are looking for. In some cases, their job history may be explainable. For instance, they may have taken a chance to join a startup’s staff, or maybe the company was acquired soon after they started working there.

Similarly, there are candidates who average two to three years per position. For these individuals, you need to do a little more digging. In the positions where they didn’t last long, find out why. This will give you information on what motivates them and keeps them engaged.

The Exceptions

Now, there are exceptions to every rule. Identifying a job hopper is no different. You may want to dig deeper and screen for specific instances, such as:

  • The job’s location moving, creating a substantial commute, or requiring relocation
  • There is a valid personal reason for moving jobs, such as a family member needing assistance
  • A change in management that impacted their work environment
  • Working for startups on a regular basis

Our Recruiters Will Help You Find the Best Candidates

Working with a staffing agency like GoSource can help you weed out the bad candidates and avoid job hoppers. Recruiters can help you identify reliable candidates that will be a good fit for your organization. We have an already-established talent pool of dependable employees. Contact us to learn more about how our team of professionals can help you.

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